You have been selected!

“Congratulations you have been selected to begin the PTA program at Athens Tech fall semester 2013” –

YEP!! I was selected to begin this fall….I was one of 18 chosen out of over 100 qualified applicants. Just 30 seconds prior to receiving this news via email, I responded to a friend’s email telling her that I was a nervous wreck waiting to hear….that I was praying and trusting His plan and no matter if I was selected or not that I would be Ok. You know what? I wasn’t just saying that…I meant it 100%. No matter what was next for me, I was (am) 100% in on faith, there is no other way for me to be….I have never been clearer that God is in control and I want His best for my life and for Ryan. Want to know what I did the moment I read the email congratulating me on being selected?? I cried, not little tears…hard to talk thru tears – out of joy and excitement yes, but more than anything out of gratitude to my heavenly Father for His love, His promises and faithfulness. I give God all the glory and all the credit – none of what has happened and is happening is of my doing nor my choosing….sure I have worked hard in school and I have tried to be diligent in pursuing the Lords will in all of this – but from the beginning this was all of Gods doing…He answered a prayer when I submitted my life to Him – he answered me so clearly there was not any doubt. I did not know how it would come together, I was not without anxiety at times, and I had moments that I was overcome with fear and uncertainty. But every time I was assaulted with doubt/anxiety/fear I was reminded of the night He revealed to me what He wanted me to do….I remembered the clarity He gave me and I simply made up my mind that I would trust Him above all else – that I would hold onto His promise and I would believe His truth not the assault of doubt/anxiety/fear.

The Lord used a friend to reveal to me His plan and my first step in this journey. He has walked with me as I started college as an adult preparing to make application into this crazy competitive PTA program – and while in the my classes last year He placed people in my life that don’t know Jesus, giving me opportunity and boldness to speak truth into their lives as well as form  lasting connections and friendships.  He called me out of the boat and onto the water as He prompted me to make the move to Athens without being accepted into the program – and when my flesh became anxious and worrisome about the unknown, as those around me thought I might be crazy – He gave me peace and confidence in my next step. I found myself holding tight to Nehemiah 6:3 often.

I am doing a great work I cannot come down ~Nehemiah 6:3

I leaned hard into Him, talking to Him about my fear and praying that His will be done. When I unknowingly stepped outside of His will by taking a job that was not part of His plan, I was able to hear His voice and discern His will quickly. Every obstacle, worry, & doubt the enemy has thrown in my path – the Lord has carried me passed it, taking complete care of every single detail – and I mean EVERY single detail. He has never once let go of my hand as we walk this path together.

Originally I was planning to paint the picture of how He stitched everything together….but as I sat here typing it all out I realized that is a long story with lots of little details that I am happy to tell anyone over coffee :) ha-ha – but truly what you need to know, the summary of my story this far is this:

The best decision I ever made was to walk into a little church in Covington, GA back in the year 2000.....where I understood that salvation was a gift that I only had to receive. Unknown to me at that time that was not where the story ended – it had only just begun …my story began with a lot of tug of war and a lot of my running while Jesus stood in the background waiting for my return to Him. January 2011 when I finally surrender my life…when I decided to move in His direction, my new life began. A life I did not know could exist in this world. I am not speaking of life without hardship, without questions or struggles – but a life of peace and joy that truly transcends all understanding. I do not know exactly where the Lord is leading me, I don’t know every detail of His plan and that is Ok because I trust Him to light my path. When He opens the door I will walk thru it, when He says be still I will be still - my trust in Him is complete. I am beyond thankful for His pursuit of me and for making me truly free. Thankful for His patience with my ways and that in spite of who I was (am) He sees what He created me to be. I am in awe of His love for me and that He would see fit to use me to be a part of this journey and in any small way use me to touch the life of someone else.

I am starting on a new chapter in this journey on August 27th – I walk onto the campus of Athens Tech to begin 5 straight semesters of school knowing full well that I am there because the Lord, my God, wanted me in this place. It will be hard, it will be tight where money is concerned, it will be intense….but it will be ok, I will be well equipped, I will be given all I need to provide and succeed. My relationship with God is a daily, living, breathing relationship. I speak with Him throughout the day about everything…the good, the bad and the ugly. I seek His face looking to receive His will in my life. I look to Him for my worth, for direction, and strength. Jesus…He is my protector, my provider, my best friend, my God, my everything….I can do all things thru Him!

So as I celebrate the accomplishment of being selected into the PTA program - I want to celebrate that each of us has been selected to be a part of His family if we are willing to let down the walls of our hearts and ask Him in. I want to celebrate that I am a child of the most high God and publicly give the glory to God!! Thank you Jesus - I love you above all else!!

Samantha